Michael Sinanian

Quick Snapshot

Role: UX designer
Team: Independent concept project
Customers: Prospective students, alumni, and donors exploring the School of Information

Concept homepage redesign for the University of Michigan School of Information. — The concept homepage re-centered storytelling with bold typography and people-forward photography.

Mandate / Opportunity / Problem Scope

The University of Michigan School of Information’s homepage needed a bolder identity that celebrated its people and surfaced calls-to-action. I developed a concept emphasizing storytelling, clarity, and emotional resonance.

Screenshot of the prior University of Michigan School of Information homepage. — The existing homepage felt dense and transactional, offering limited space for differentiating narratives.

Component guide outlining the UMSI redesign system. — Component guidelines defined typography, grid, and module treatments to ease implementation.

What I Led / Delivered / Highlights

Designed a minimalist broken-grid layout featuring black-and-white photography, U-M color accents, and people-centric imagery.
Structured navigation into dual rows to separate primary journeys from giving and secondary links.
Highlighted strengths, news, and events through modular boxes and social proof near the footer.
Documented the visual system and interaction guidelines for potential implementation.

Impact / Lasting Value / Takeaway

The concept demonstrated how a refreshed visual and information architecture could align the school’s brand with its community-centric mission.

UMSI Site Redesign Concept

Quick Snapshot

Mandate / Opportunity / Problem Scope

What I Led / Delivered / Highlights

Impact / Lasting Value / Takeaway